Leave No Trace

Our love of and desire to experience wild places ultimately changes them. As park visitation increases every year, how can we lessen our impact on the land we care about? One way is to "Leave No Trace." A national education program, Leave No Trace (www.lnt.org) promotes and inspires responsible outdoor recreation. Even though it is impossible to leave absolutely no trace of our presence, there are ways of minimizing our impact. The program's guiding principles are:

• Plan ahead and prepare.

• Travel and camp on durable surfaces.

• Dispose of waste properly.

• Leave what you find.

• Minimize campfire impacts.

• Respect wildlife.

• Be considerate of other visitors.

Consider applying these principles during your travels. If you are planning an overnight trip into the backcountry or wilderness, be sure to obtain a permit and know the park's backcountry camping regulations, which are based on Leave No Trace principles and ethics. These vital principles also apply to campgrounds, along the Skyline Drive and even in your own backyard.

Look for the Leave No Trace symbol in Shenandoah. Think about how you can leave no trace as you stop at an overlook, walk the Limberlost Trail or camp at Big Meadows Campground. We always need your help in preserving park resources for future generations. You can make a difference.